Sask. community turns around health care, re-opens hospital

Three years after re-opening its hospital, a Saskatchewan community is celebrating the start of a third doctor later this year.

A new permanent physician is starting in Redvers, located 43 kilometres east of Carlyle, is beginning in August.

“Patients were having to seek services elsewhere, so it definitely made it much more difficult particularly for elderly patients,” said Marga Cugnet, Sun Country Health Region CEO.

For five years, the hospital was closed due to a lack of a permanent physician. The hospital re-opened three years ago. Cugnet said community commitment and provincial programs, like the Saskatchewan International Physician Assessment Program, led to being able to reopen.

She called Redvers a bit of an “anomaly.” Both a current doctor and the one set to start in August are from the area.

As a whole, the health region has been able to recruit doctors.

Cugnet said five years ago there was a 50 per cent vacancy rate but now there are no vacancies available.